East Boston Greenway

Your Guide

Like many other urban open spaces, the East Boston Greenway succeeds by reclaiming a space that had been used for urban infrastructure, which in this case is the Conrail railroad corridor. Linking a series of East Boston open spaces (including Piers Park), the trail system, once completed, will include 12 acres of park land and 3.3 miles of multi-use pathway.

The Greenway operates at the neighborhood scale as a back yard for young children to safely ride bikes and play. It also operates at the city scale, enabling connections to transportation. As each additional segment comes on line, the Greenway becomes a great recreational asset and amenity at a more regional scale.

In keeping with East Boston’s remarkable legacy of advocating for open
space, this project too would not have happened without groups such as
The Friends of the East Boston Greenway or Boston Natural Areas
Network. Browne, Richardson and Rowe have designed three segments of
the Greenway.

Entry at Marginal and South Bremen Sts.

The Marginal and South Bremen Sts. entry to the Greenway offers an incredible view of the Boston skyline. And, given the active construction across the street, it’s worth visiting the site before the view is diminished.

Image: Kaki Martin

The Greenway's Industrial Past

Conrail donated a caboose, which is a one-of-a-kind gateway marker for this end. It’s possible to walk up onto the platform.

Image: Kaki Martin

Shade and Quiet

Much of the Greenway has this character—it’s a simple asphalt path, but the planting offers shade and quiet from the dense bustle of the adjacent neighborhood streets.

Image: Kaki Martin

Bridge Crossings

I love seeing the clarity of vertical section in action at the bridge crossings.

Image: Kaki Martin

One of Many Compelling Murals

The bridge abutments are all treated differently, so there is a great variety of graphic language at these moments. I think these enormously over-sized renderings of this collection of plants is in many ways one of the most compelling murals I’ve seen.

Image: Kaki Martin

Paths Separate

The path divides to accommodate different tracks for cycling and walking or running. The paths ribbon closer and further apart from each other. Places where the grade also separates the two paths are the most compelling.

Image: Kaki Martin

Neighborhood Culture

I know, I know, another mural, but I think this is another great one. I think the manner in which it suggests neighborhood cultural identity in the Greenway in a more abstract, playful, and fanciful way is noteworthy.